Yardbarker

San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh clearly is an intense man with steely-eyed focus, always able to keep his eye on the prize despite any potential distraction. It helps explain what transformed him from a middling NFL quarterback to one of the premiere head coaches in the business. But who knew that drive, determination and focus began to develop when Harbaugh was a pipsqueak 5-year-old?

Harbaugh engaged in a fascinating Q&A with the Mercury News’ Tim Kawakami for a Talking Points column recently. The interview revolved around the fiery coach’s passion for baseball and included a very interesting — and messy — anecdote about how, when he was a wee (wee) lad, he relieved himself in his pants instead of using the restroom so he wouldn’t miss meeting a Cleveland Indians player along with his brother, John:

We went to a Cleveland Indians game. It was one of those games where there was maybe a thousand, 700 people left when it was over. I think the lights had gone out during the game, the old Municipal Stadium.

But you could meet a player after the game. And there was–I think it was a first baseman named McGraw (note: can’t find a player named McGraw on the late-1960s Indians, but the blurriness is understandable; he was 5!). Might’ve been a third baseman.

Anyway, I know we entered the field from the first-base side, just to get a picture with him. Just to get a Polaroid picture.

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And I had to go to the bathroom really bad. So I had to make a decision: Me and my brother were like 20 people from actually being able to go onto the field and take a picture with (the player) right by the first-base bag.

And it was either go to the bathroom and not get a picture, or do it right there in my pants. So I chose to go in my pants, and my parents have this picture of a big ring right here (points to an obvious place on the front of his pants).

I just want that picture for some reason. I really want that picture.

There you have it. Jim Harbaugh once peed in his pants just to meet a major leaguer. Again, that’s determination, even if it involves soiling oneself. Delightful.

Harbaugh continues detailing his person pee-pee party:

-Q: Seven-year-old you. Yeah, I can see that.

-HARBAUGH: -I was five. My brother was seven. Might’ve been six.

-Q: You’re posing in the picture with your brother, the player and your pants like that?

-HARBAUGH: Yeah, he’s in the middle. He’s got his arms around me and my brother (laughs as he puts his arms out like a little kid happily grabbing a baseball player).

I’ve got to get my parents to see if they can get that picture. I’ve seen it through the years. I’m the only one that really notices (the visible dampness) – there it is.